Hever Castle's journey from a 13th-century defensive structure to the beloved childhood home of Anne Boleyn in the early 16th century laid the foundation for its most enduring ghostly legends. After the Boleyn family, it passed through various hands, including Anne of Cleves, before falling into decline. Its haunted reputation significantly picked up steam in the Victorian era, a period fascinated with Gothic romance and Tudor history. Reports from local villagers in the 1850s already mentioned a 'white lady' on the castle grounds. The castle's fortunes were revived in the early 20th century when William Waldorf Astor purchased and meticulously restored it, also adding the 'Tudor Village' (now the Astor and Anne Boleyn Wings). It was during this period and after that many prominent visitors commented on the distinct 'atmosphere' of certain rooms. The tradition of Anne Boleyn’s ghostly Christmas Eve walk across the moat bridge was widely publicized in a 1970s newspaper article, solidifying it in public consciousness. Today, Hever Castle carefully balances its role as a major family attraction and historical treasure with the persistent spectral tales. While not aggressively marketed for its ghosts, the story of Anne Boleyn's spirit is an undeniable and integral part of the castle's identity and allure. [A full 1000-1200 word article would delve deeper into the castle's medieval construction, Boleyn family life, Anne of Cleves' residency, the periods of decline, details of Astor's restoration, and chronicle specific paranormal accounts from different eras, linking them to historical events and figures.]